Original Word: πρόγνωσις
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: prognósis
Pronunciation: prog'-no-sis
Phonetic Spelling: (prog'-no-sis)
KJV: foreknowledge
NASB: foreknowledge
Word Origin: [from G4267 (προγινώσκω - foreknew)]

1. forethought

foreknowledge.

From proginosko; forethought -- foreknowledge.

see GREEK proginosko

Cognate: 4268 prógnōsis (from 4267 /proginṓskō, "foreknow") – properly, foreknowledge. 4268 (prógnōsis) occurs twice in the NT, both times of "God's absolute foreknowledge." See 4267 (proginōskō).

Word Origin
from proginóskó
Definition
foreknowledge
NASB Translation
foreknowledge (2).

STRONGS NT 4268: πρόγνωσις

πρόγνωσις, προγνωσεως, ἡ (προγινώσκω);

1. foreknowledge: Judith 9:6 Judith 11:19 (Plutarch, Lucian, Herodian).

2. forethought, prearrangement (see προβλέπω): 1 Peter 1:2; Acts 2:23 (but cf. προγινώσκω, and see Meyer on Acts, the passage cited).

Definition and Key Idea

The noun πρόγνωσις (prognōsis) denotes the prior knowledge and purposeful awareness of God that undergirds His sovereign actions in history. More than mere foresight, it is the personal, relational knowing by which God sets His redemptive plan in motion and lovingly fixes His regard upon His people before their existence in time.

Biblical Occurrences

• Acts 2:23 – God’s πρόγνωσις stands behind the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
• 1 Peter 1:2 – The same πρόγνωσις lies behind the election of every believer.

Relation to Divine Sovereignty

Prognōsis functions in Scripture as part of a pair: “the determined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). Together they affirm that nothing in salvation history happens by chance. Divine foreknowledge guarantees that God’s purposes are settled, certain, and perfectly wise, while never negating human responsibility; Peter still charges his hearers with the guilt of Christ’s death.

Connection with Christ’s Redemptive Work (Acts 2:23)

“ He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.”

Here πρόγνωσις reveals:
• The cross was no tragic accident but the centerpiece of God’s eternal design (Isaiah 53:10; Revelation 13:8).
• Human agents acted freely and are accountable, yet their deeds unwittingly fulfilled God’s salvific purpose (Genesis 50:20; John 19:11).
• The certainty of redemption rests on the unchangeable intention of God, providing believers with unshakeable assurance.

Foreknowledge and Election of Believers (1 Peter 1:2)

“ elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood …”

In the epistle’s opening benediction:
• Prognōsis is the Father’s distinguishing love that precedes time (Ephesians 1:4).
• Election, sanctification, and obedience form a Trinitarian framework—Father elects, Spirit consecrates, Son cleanses.
• Foreknowledge is relational rather than merely cognitive; God sets His affection upon His people (Jeremiah 1:5; Amos 3:2).
• The context of suffering exiles (1 Peter 1:1) turns foreknowledge into comfort: persecution cannot overturn what God has foreknown.

Old Testament Foundations

Although the noun does not appear in the Septuagint, the concept saturates the Hebrew Scriptures. God “knew” Abraham (Genesis 18:19), formed Jeremiah in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5), and foreordained the Servant’s atoning work (Isaiah 42:9; 53:10-11). The prophetic corpus rests on the conviction that God’s foreknowledge ensures the reliability of His word (Isaiah 44:6-8).

Theological Implications

1. Omniscience: God’s knowledge spans all possibilities and certainties (Psalm 139:1-6).
2. Unconditional Election: Foreknowledge precedes faith and is the ground of it (Romans 8:29; Romans 11:2, using the cognate verb).
3. Compatibility with Human Choice: Scripture consistently joins divine foreknowledge with calls to repent and believe (Acts 3:19).
4. Assurance of Salvation: What God foreknew He will glorify (Romans 8:30).

Historical Interpretation in the Church

• Patristic writers such as Augustine saw foreknowledge as inseparable from predestination.
• The Reformers underscored πρόγνωσις to defend salvation by grace alone.
• Evangelical theologians continue to distinguish biblical foreknowledge from mere passive foresight, emphasizing God’s active purpose.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Pastoral Comfort: Suffering believers can anchor their hope in God’s prior loving commitment (1 Peter 4:19).
• Worship: Recognition of God’s foreknowledge inspires awe and gratitude (Romans 11:33-36).
• Evangelism: The certainty of God’s saving plan encourages bold proclamation, knowing He has a people prepared to respond (Acts 18:9-10).
• Perseverance: Foreknowledge assures that trials are neither random nor wasted (James 1:2-4).

Relation to Prophecy and Assurance

Prognōsis validates prophecy: only the One who declares “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10) can pledge future events. Consequently, the believer’s confidence in the promises of God—resurrection, final judgment, eternal life—rests upon His unfailing foreknowledge.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4268, πρόγνωσις, encapsulates the loving and purposeful foreknowledge of God that ordains both the cross of Christ and the calling of every saint. It secures the believer’s past, present, and future, harmonizing divine sovereignty with human responsibility, and transforming theology into adoration and steadfast ministry.

προγνωσει προγνώσει προγνωσιν πρόγνωσιν prognosei prognōsei prognṓsei prognosin prognōsin prógnosin prógnōsinInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts